HARARE, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Andy Blignaut completed career best figures to bowl Zimbabwe to victory in the third one-day international against West Indies, yesterday.
Fast bowler Blignaut delivered a fiery second spell to take four for 43 as Zimbabwe won by 21 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Zimbabwe made 229 for five after losing the toss but dismissed West Indies for 208 in the 48th over.
West Indies opener Chris Gayle top-scored with 61, including seven fours, his dismissal in the 40th over effectively ended the tourists' challenge.
The major contributions to Zimbabwe's total were Mark Vermeulen's 66 and an unbeaten 65 by captain Heath Streak.
Vermeulen faced 70 balls and hit seven fours, while Streak batted for 91 balls, hitting a four and a six.
West Indies captain Brian Lara put the home side in to bat on a cracked pitch in humid conditions but most of the Zimbabwe top and middle order struggled to settle against the West Indies seamers' nagging line and length.
Vusi Sibanda was the first to go when he drove a delivery from fast bowler Merv Dillon uppishly to Ricardo Powell in the covers for 11.
Trevor Gripper scored 17 before offering a simple return catch to medium pacer Wavell Hinds.
Zimbabwe slipped to 69 for three when Craig Wishart was out hit wicket for seven after stepping back to play a delivery from fast bowler Vasbert Drakes.
Five overs later Hinds trapped Stuart Matsikenyeri leg-before for eight with a ball that held its line.
CONSOLIDATING STAND
Vermeulen and Streak mounted a consolidating stand of 55 for the fifth wicket that was ended when Vermeulen failed to cover an off-cutter from medium pacer Ricardo Powell and was bowled.
Streak carried on the solid work with Tatenda Taibu, adding an unbroken 90 for the sixth wicket. Taibu was 37 not out off 36 balls.
West Indies' reply was rocked when two wickets tumbled in six deliveries.
Wavell Hinds edged a ball from Blignaut to be caught behind by wicketkeeper Taibu for 13, before Ramnaresh Sarwan fell first ball in identical fashion, to Streak.
That reduced the visitors to 25 for two after seven overs, but Gayle and Lara kept them on track with a third-wicket stand of 70.
The partnership was broken in the 22nd over, when Streak yorked Lara for 34.
Nine overs later West Indies sank to 120 for four when Shivnarine Chanderpaul played a sweep to a delivery from left-arm spinner Ray Price and was well caught for 19 by a diving Sibanda at backward square leg.
Marlon Samuels clipped 25 off 19 balls before heaving a ball from Blignaut to Sean Ervine at deep mid-wicket, and with his next delivery Blignaut uprooted Powell's off stump.
Ridley Jacobs fended off the hat-trick delivery but four balls later Gayle slashed wildly at a wide ball and was caught by Taibu for 61.
Seamer Ervine made it 186 for eight in the 44th over when Drakes sparred at a ball and was caught behind for nine.
Jacobs and Merv Dillon added 19 nervous runs for the ninth wicket before Streak nailed the top of Dillon's off-stump to bowl him for five.
The match ended when Ervine trapped Corey Collymore in front for two. Streak finished with figures of three for 45.